Sunday, 22 May 2011

'This is the extraordinary love story of Clare and Henry who met when Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry thirty. Impossible but true, because Henry suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. In the face of this force they can neither prevent nor control, Henry and Clare's struggle to lead normal lives is both intensely moving and entirely unforgettable.'

This story was well advertised and publisised, so I was aware of what it is all about - not sure if this was or was not helpful when reading. On one hand, I think had I not known tbeforehand how Henry does this time travel thingy, I think it might have been too confusing for me to read the book, especially the first few chapters. But maybe it would have been better to get me into the story if I hadn't known so much about it without reading it. Not sure here, and this may be the reason why it didn't grip me as much as I hope it would. However, what an idea for a story! I have to admire the story telling idea and how Niffenegger puts it all together. Gosh, to do any sort of timeline when writing the novel for this must have been an absolute nightmare, and maybe this is where I got myself into a pickle with this story as I kept looking for some sort of coherent timeline. But nonetheless, this is a wonderful and endearing story which will have a steady place and libraries and reading circles.